Tag: Arsenale Vintage Market

A couple of Sundays ago I decided to take advantage of the good weather for a trip with some friends: the excuse was the Arsenale Vintage Market in Verona, but we really wanted to have a good meal (and wine… as it was the same days of Vinitaly) and have a nice stroll to see Verona’s most interesting places since we’ve never visited it properly (though I know Arsenale very well!)

Let me say that we had the meal and wine that we expected (which may explain my sleepy face in the pics!). Verona as well, did not disappoint: from the riverside to the internationally known Piazza delle Erbe, to Juliet’s house and famous balcony (yes, that balcony!) we spent most of the day walking and visiting as proper tourists!

I wore an amazing vintage ’80s dress that I bought long time ago in a lovely vintage shop in Ljubljana (Moje Tvoje), my H&M biker jacket, and Strategia studded boots (I told you some time ago how I got them in a temporary shop for a quarter of the price!). I added my lovely handmade crown of flowers (perfect to play my Juliet!) from Giocanda (remember? I got it at Fa’ la Cosa Giusta!) and my folk Russian bag from Off in Saint Petersburg.

It wasn’t until 7pm that I remembered the real reason for being in Verona: the Arsenale Vintage Market! You might remember my last visit there for the Blogger Tour last October; that time I was alone, but it was fun as usual meeting old friends and to make new one alike! One of the things that I like most about Arsenale is that there is not only vintage: in fact, if the first room is mostly dedicated to vintage sellers (Dorotea Vintage, Stondo, Magnifica Preda, Bloody Edith and many others, mostly the same that were there last year), the second room is a tribute to creativity and handmade and I know now that I never leave there without something in my bag!!

This year I bought a straw hat from Stondo (yes, I can’t resist their hats!)

…and another straw hat from Post Post (very Venice gondolier style!)

My girl crush of this season was Olivia Iron… a rare vintage beauty with a rare talent for making beautiful retro hats and fascinators. It took me a while to decide which one to get from her, but in the end- I went for this lovely black one with vintage pearl button.

I told you last week about my great experience at Arsenale Vintage Market in Verona and about the Vintage Tour Blogger, but I didn’t take the time to share more pictures about my outfit from day.

Funny, I didn’t wear anything vintage, even if the whole effect had a retro-inspired flavor!

I wore a H&M black lace dress (one of my latest finds from a few weeks ago!) and a H&M faux leather biker jacket that I bought a few years ago.

I added designer shoes from Marni (I love these wooden platforms from a few seasons ago: they are comfortable and absolutely beautiful with this ’70s vibe. Ah… I got them for half their price on Ebay last year!) and designer handbag from Balenciaga (do you remember the story of the bag with Angela Eupani from Sculptures to Wear at the Next Vintage in Belgioioso last April?!).

The last retro touch was this lovely headband from Traffic People that I bought at their lovely shop in Old Spitalfields Market during my last trip to London.

It all started a month ago, in Padua, during my shopping session at the Padova Vintage Festival, while I was buying a lovely vintage ’80s cardigan from Deuda Vintage- and more precisely, its founder (vintage collector and vintage events curator) Leonardo Chiti.

“So you are a vintage blogger?,” he said, “I have something that may interest you.” He told me that he was one of the organizers of the very famous Arsenale Vintage Market in Verona, with the “Associazione Culturale Retrobottega.” I have never been to AVM before, but I heard a lot about it because it’s one of the most interesting emerging vintage festivals in Italy of the last few years. He also told me that they were creating a very special event for the seventh edition at the end of October that would be dedicated to the bloggers, journalists and stylist; so, if I was interested… Of course I was, and a few weeks later I received an invitation to Arsenale Vintage Market as a blogger for the very special Vintage Tour Blogger created and deliciously held by Sara Biondi (News Eventi Como).

It was such a great thing to share this amazing experience with other bloggers of different areas, background and history, and meet them all in this special area completely dedicated to us, the “Vintage Concept Sofa.” The VCS is a wonderful retro space created by Matteo Agresti of AM Florence, an awesome artist specialized in vintage remakes. In this beautiful and intimate space we could tell a bit more about ourselves and our blogs and share our views, experiences and ideas on blogging, vintage, fashion and many other subjects.

We had the chance to make a very personal tour around the two big pavilions of the AVM and meet the amazing stallers of the fair: mostly vintage dealers and sellers or handmade artists. I met old friends like Dorotea Vintage, Magnifica Preda, Camden Town, Shabby Chic, Lamù Vintage, Stondo etc., and new ones like the lovely Valentina from Déjà Vu, Maurizio from Maustore Vintage or Michela the artist of Lumière Bijoux.

During my tour I took some pictures with some of my favorite pieces, like this amazing hat from Stondo Firenze (for the first time I didn’t get any of their beautiful hats… also because I think my hatbox already holds pretty much their whole collection!!)

Or this beautiful fuchsia vintage coat with fur collar from Maustore Vintage…

We also had the chance to pick from one of our favorite sellers’, pieces to wear and make a vintage photo-shoot with our best-loved piece: I chose a wonderful vintage cream and navy dress from my adored Dorotea Vintage. We then took some pictures inside the fair (lovely vintage décor!) and together of course!!

As you may notice my hair and makeup is done completely different from my arrival: four of us bloggers had the opportunity to get a burlesque inspired hairdo and makeup session with the lovely Ilenia from Capelli di Stile: it was perfect timing for some pictures and a funny interview with Ilaria from Vintage Lovers & More at the AVM Live Radio, the official radio of AVM.

A lot of different activities like: late afternoon live music, a car expo and various workshops were just a few of the many options for the lucky visitors of this edition of Arsenale Vintage Market.

I must say that I had a blast there and I enjoyed not only the company of my fellow bloggers, but the whole organization and atmosphere of my first Arsenale Vintage Market!

Oh… I forgot to share my finds of the day (which, believe it or not can all fit in one picture!): a poster from a 1939 Vogue’s cover and a Pop Art book from Happy Books and a lovely handmade heart ring from Lumiere Bijoux!